Celebrating its 20th anniversary, St. Stan’s Athletic League held it’s annual “Get To The ‘Point’” 5K race this past Sunday, bringing out over 500 locals for fun and frolicking.

As for the runners participating in the event, everyone had his or her own reason. Angelica Negron, a resident of Greenpoint, came in support of her husband, Jose Olivares, who had taken up the sport this past summer as a way to lose weight and stay healthy.

“He’s lost 15 pounds since he started,” she said.

With the changing seasons, Olivares had some initial difficulties adjusting to running in colder weather, but today, he felt ready. “I’m definitely excited,” Olivares said.

Frank Carbone, the Get To The ‘Point’ 5k Run event chairman and director of the St. Stans’ Athletic League, has been organizing the event for the past 20 years, including the children’s 25, 50 and 75-yard dashes, the 5K run and an awards and presentation ceremony following the race.

“It’s just terrific,” Carbon said of the event as he prepared to run in the 5K, which he has done every year but one.

Coming in first with a time of 15:40 in a close race, Alexander Arslan, a resident of New Hyde Park, said after giving up soccer he started running for a change of pace—quite literally. “I needed a plan B,” he said.

Like most athletes, Arslan is already thinking towards the future for his next running rendezvous. Just in time for Thanksgiving, he’ll be participating in the Garden City Turkey Trot.